The pledge for all things to live in harmony

The draft People’s Charter for Africa is a pledge “to strive wholeheartedly together to live in harmony within the community of life and respect and defend the rights of all beings to fulfil their role within that community.

The main undertakings to achieve this include:

• Earth is sacred: no person or legal entity has the right to pollute or degrade the soils, waters and atmosphere that sustain life.
• All live well: Respect the rights of all other members of the natural communities to which we belong so that all can live well in harmony with one another.
• A giving for every taking: Every person and each generation will maintain natural balances by giving to natural communities in return for what they receive.
• Life before property and profit: The rights of present and future generations to live in harmony in healthy natural communities will prevail over the rights of any person or legal entity to property or profits. The interests of corporations, the state and other artificial entities will not be permitted to take precedence over the natural communities.

Mail & Guardian
May 25 – 31 2012

Please take responsibility for your own place and space you occupy. It is not about “them” and “they”; it is about you. You just do your best. Conserve water; it is life.